To Banner, Leader of the Riders of the Watch

KvotheReport from Kvothe & Jocelin

Banner,

We’ve returned from our little jaunt to Fastormel, and, well... things have gone from "troubling" to "deeply cursed." Here’s the rundown.

The Road to Fastormel & The Mist

Our trip started normally enough—suspicious goblins, bugbears lurking in the trees, all the usual nonsense. We were about to follow them when an Ettin decided it was suppertime and loudly declared his love for eating horse and dwarf. We explained, rather forcefully, that neither was on the menu. He died confused, which is how I assume most Ettins go.

(Jocelin: "I feel like we should start a tally of Ettins we've killed. Two in one week seems excessive.")

We lost the goblins at a stream, so we continued north. That’s when we saw it—the mist. It was unnatural. A sharp edge, 50-60 feet high, swallowed sound, and made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. Sharwyn and Braford were already there, looking less than thrilled about the situation.

I did a bit of scouting and discovered 20-25 zombies shambling about, many of them looking rather orcish. The mist wasn’t in the town, but the undead were. That was bad enough. Then we met their master.

Fastormel’s New Lord

In the town square, we spotted a large white stone tower reaching into the mist. Before we could appreciate the architecture, a well-dressed but ancient-looking man stepped out.

Surprise! It’s the vampire we accidentally released from the Gulthias Tree!

(Jocelin: "I TOLD YOU that was going to bite us in the butt.")

He seemed awfully pleased with himself and declared that Fastormel was now his domain. He controls the river and trade routes and expects Fallcrest to recognize his authority. Also, he’s not fond of "hostilities" (meaning us killing his zombies, which we found unreasonable). He only needed one of us alive to deliver the message.

Then he walked back into his tower and slammed the door, leaving us with a small army of undead. Rude.

Jocelin(Jocelin: "I vote we don't deliver his message. Or if we do, we deliver it with fire.")

The Battle & Escape

Naturally, we considered our options—fight an entire horde of undead plus a vampire overlord or live to see another day. We picked "not dying."

During our graceful retreat, Jocelin spotted someone sneaking into a sewer grate. Not undead. Something else. Worth investigating later.

We carved our way through the undead and bolted out of town, only to be rewarded for our survival with yet another Ettin ambush during our camp near Spiderfell.

Ettin #2 also died confused.

(Jocelin: "Seriously, two in one week? Do Ettins just randomly wander into people’s camps, or are we cursed?")

A Griffin, A Gnome & Back to Fallcrest

Because no trip is complete without wildlife trying to murder us, a griffin attacked a gnome while we traveled back to Fallcrest. We killed it, saved the gnome, and, naturally, he joined us.

His name is Rindle. He seems useful. Time will tell.

Back in Fallcrest, we delivered our report to you. We assume you’re already talking to the Lord Warden about the vampire’s little land grab.

Other Important Developments

Dragon Research: We dug into some books and learned that Deep Dragons (like a certain "wizard" we know) are:

  • Rare.
  • Shapechangers.
  • Spellcasters.
  • Deep black or purple.
  • Have a breath weapon that releases spores that cause mental damage.
  • Prefer to lurk in the Underdark.

Hallow Spell Preparation:

  • Leander secured the needed ritual components (incense and a brazier).
  • He agreed to travel to Broken Spire Keep soon to perform the Hallow ritual on the shrine.

Future Plans for Broken Spire Keep:

  • Jaylin and Andren want to marry at the Keep once their apprenticeships are complete.
  • They’re considering setting up shop there—Jaylin as a Mage, Andren as a Gem Cutter.

The Midsummer Festival in Fallcrest:

  • Kvothe’s dogs are ready.
  • More guards & priests are in town than usual.
  • The Lord Warden wants more intelligence on the vampire before committing forces.

For now, we’re planning to enjoy the festival, fortify Broken Spire Keep, and prepare for whatever fresh disaster is lurking in the dark.

We’ll keep you updated.

Kvothe & Jocelin